N. Korea gets more time to close reactor

SEOUL, April 17 (UPI) -- North Korea will get a few more days to close its nuclear facilities required under the six-party agreement, the deadline for which expired last Saturday.

South Korea announced Tuesday it had agreed along with the United States to give the extension to the Pyongyang government, the Korea Times reported.

The agreement on granting the extension was reached between South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following their telephone conversation early Tuesday, the South Korean foreign ministry said. The two agreed they would continue working with the other four parties on ending North Korea's nuclear program.

North Korea was to have shut down its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon by last Saturday under the Feb. 13 six-party agreement. But that did not happen because of reported delay in releasing $25 million in funds frozen in a Macao bank.

Separately, South Korea also agreed to send a delegation to Pyongyang to have economic talks with the North as part of the latter's nuclear dismantlement.